Apparatus and method of playing karaoke accompaniment

Abstract

A karaoke apparatus includes: a karaoke information reproducing unit for reproducing MIDI sound source control information stored in a storage unit; a MIDI sound source control unit for producing first MIDI sound source control information and second MIDI sound source control information from the MIDI sound source control information reproduced by the karaoke information reproducing unit; a first MIDI sound source for producing first karaoke accompaniment information from the first MIDI sound source control information; a second MIDI sound source for producing second karaoke accompaniment information from the second MIDI sound source control information; and a mixing unit for mixing the first karaoke accompaniment information and second karaoke accompaniment information to output mixed karaoke accompaniment information.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A karaoke apparatus comprising: a karaoke information reproducing unit for reproducing MIDI sound source control information stored in a storage unit;   a MIDI sound source control unit for producing first MIDI sound source control information and second MIDI sound source control information from the MIDI sound source control information reproduced by the karaoke information reproducing unit;   a first MIDI sound source for producing first karaoke accompaniment information from the first MIDI sound source control information;   a second MIDI sound source for producing second karaoke accompaniment information from the second MIDI sound source control information; and   a mixing unit for mixing the first karaoke accompaniment information and second karaoke accompaniment information to output mixed karaoke accompaniment information.   
     
     
       2. A karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising output unit for converting the mixed karaoke accompaniment information into acoustic sound and outputting the acoustic sound. 
     
     
       3. A karaoke apparatus according to claims 1, wherein said second MIDI sound source control unit produces the second MIDI sound source control information by delaying the first MIDI sound source control information. 
     
     
       4. A karaoke apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said MIDI sound source control unit produces the second MIDI sound source control information by changing volume data of the first MIDI sound source control information. 
     
     
       5. A karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said MIDI sound source control information include note data of a plurality of notes and output timing data of the notes, and said MIDI sound source control unit modifies the output timing data of the first MIDI sound source control information to produce second MIDI sound source control information. 
     
     
       6. A karaoke apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said mixing unit mixes the first MIDI sound source control information and the second MIDI sound source control information in accordance with the output timings of the notes defined in the first and second MIDI sound source control information. 
     
     
       7. A karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage unit stores the first MIDI sound source control information and the second MIDI sound source control information. 
     
     
       8. A karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said MIDI sound source control unit receives the second MIDI sound source control information from an external MIDI equipment. 
     
     
       9. A karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said MIDI sound source control unit selects a part of note data of the MIDI sound source control information to produce second MIDI sound source control information. 
     
     
       10. A method of playing karaoke accompaniment comprising the steps of: reproducing first MIDI sound source control information including note data of a plurality of notes and output timing data of the notes from a storage unit;   producing second MIDI sound source control information by modifying the output timing data of the first MIDI sound source control information;   producing first karaoke accompaniment information from the first MIDI sound source control information;   producing second karaoke accompaniment information from the second MIDI sound source control information; and   mixing the first karaoke accompaniment information and second karaoke accompaniment information in accordance with the output timing data of the notes in the first and second MIDI sound source control information.   
     
     
       11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of converting the mixed karaoke accompaniment information into acoustic sound and outputting the acoustic sound.